The Gateway Region is the primary urbanized area of the northeastern section of New Jersey . It is anchored by Newark , the state's most populous city. It is part of the New York metropolitan area .
106-507: The area encompasses Bergen , Essex , Hudson , Passaic , Union and Middlesex counties. It is the most urban part of the state, with a population of more than four million, and is home to most of its larger cities , though much housing was originally developed as suburbs of neighbouring New York City . It is home to Ellis Island , the "gateway" through which many immigrants entered the United States, many of whom chose to stay in
212-529: A Nike Missile station at Campgaw Mountain (in the west of the county) for the defense of the New York Metropolitan Area from strategic bombers . In 1959, the site was upgraded to house Nike-Hercules Missiles with increased range, speed, and payload characteristics. The missile site closed in June 1971. Bergen County is located at the northeastern corner of the state of New Jersey and
318-492: A globally cosmopolitan ambience of its own, demonstrating a robust and growing demographic and cultural diversity with respect to metrics including nationality, religion, race, and domiciliary partnership . South Korea , Poland , and India are the three most common nations of birth for foreign-born Bergen County residents. Italian Americans have long had a significant presence in Bergen County; in fact, Italian
424-621: A growing community of Russian Jews . Garfield is home to an architecturally prominent Russian Orthodox church. Likewise, Ukrainian Americans , Georgian Americans , and Uzbek Americans have more recently followed the path of their Russian American predecessors to Bergen County, particularly to Fair Lawn. The size of Fair Lawn's Russian American presence has prompted an April Fool's satire titled, " Putin Moves Against Fair Lawn". The Armenian American population in Bergen
530-722: A highly developed part of the New York City metropolitan area , bordering the Hudson River ; the George Washington Bridge , which crosses the Hudson, connects Bergen County with Manhattan . The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state. As of the 2020 United States census , the county's population was 955,732, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 50,616 (+5.6%) from
636-427: A male householder with no wife present and 29.5% were non-families. 14.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.18 and the average family size was 3.25. About 21.3% of the county's population was under age 18, 8.0% was from age 18 to 24, 36.7% was from age 25 to 44, and 17.0% was age 65 or older. The median age
742-561: A moderately sunny climate, averaging between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of sunshine annually. In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Hackensack have ranged from a low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −15 °F (−26 °C) was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of 106 °F (41 °C)
848-500: A rapidly growing demographic in Bergen County, enumerating over 40,000 individuals in 2013, a significant increase from the 24,973 counted in the 2010 Census, and represent the second largest Asian ethnic group in Bergen County, after Korean Americans. The biggest clusters of Indian Americans are located in Hackensack , Ridgewood , Fair Lawn , Paramus , Teaneck , Mahwah , Bergenfield , Lodi , and Elmwood Park . Within
954-599: A similarly prominent Hindu mandir has been built in Mahwah. The public library in Fair Lawn began a highly attended Hindi language (हिन्दी) storytelling program in October 2013. The affluent municipalities of northern Bergen County are witnessing significant growth in their Indian American communities, including Glen Rock, into which up to 90% of this constituency was estimated by one member in 2014 to have moved within
1060-574: A total area of 246.45 square miles (638.3 km ), of which 232.79 square miles (602.9 km ) was land (94.5%) and 13.66 square miles (35.4 km ) was water (5.5%). Bergen County's highest elevation is Bald Mountain near the New York state line in Mahwah , at 1,164 feet (355 m) above sea level. The county's lowest point is sea level , along the Hudson River, which in this region
1166-729: Is a tidal estuary . The sharp cliffs of the New Jersey Palisades lift much of the eastern boundary of the county up from the Hudson River. The relief becomes less pronounced across the middle section of the county, much of it being located in the Hackensack River valley or the Pascack Valley . In the northwestern portion of the county, Bergen County becomes hilly again and shares the Ramapo Mountains with Rockland County, New York. The damming of
SECTION 10
#17327649132361272-471: Is almost entirely concentrated in three municipalities: Englewood (10,215 residents, accounting for 38.98% of the city's total population), Teaneck (11,298; 28.78%), and Hackensack (10,518; 24.65%). Collectively, these three areas account for nearly 70% of the county's total African American population of 46,568, and in fact, blacks have had a presence in these towns since the earliest days of the county. In sharp contrast, African Americans comprise less than 2% of
1378-523: Is bordered by Rockland County, New York , to the north; by Manhattan and the Bronx in New York City , as well as by Westchester County, New York , across the Hudson River to the east; and within New Jersey, by Hudson County as well as a small border with Essex County to the south, and by Passaic County to the west. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , as of the 2020 Census, the county had
1484-836: Is dispersed throughout the county, but its most significant concentration is in the southeastern towns near the George Washington Bridge. The victims of the Armenian genocide are recognized annually at the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack. Treaty of Easton The Treaty of Easton was a colonial agreement in North America signed in October 1758 during the French and Indian War ( Seven Years' War ) between British colonials and
1590-530: Is growing in many areas of the county but is especially concentrated in a handful of municipalities, including Fairview (37.1%), Hackensack (25.9%), Ridgefield Park (22.2%), Englewood (21.8%), Bogota (21.3%), Garfield (20.1%), Cliffside Park (18.2%), Lodi (18.0%), and Bergenfield (17.0%). Traditionally, many of the Latino residents were of Colombian and Cuban ancestry, although that has been changing in recent years. Englewood's Colombian community
1696-564: Is home to many points of historical interest, including districts, private homes, places of worship, train stations, civic and industrial architecture, and structures of engineering significance. The Statue of Liberty , Ellis Island , and the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal national symbols of mass immigration to the United States are all located on the Upper New York Bay . The Edison National Historic Site and
1802-576: Is home to one of the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area 's three major airports. Much of the rail and surface transit system is operated by New Jersey Transit and the high transit ridership is mostly oriented to commuters traveling to downtown Newark, lower and midtown Manhattan, and increasingly, the Hudson Waterfront. Outside of the most "city-like" areas of Greater Newark, Elizabeth, Hudson County, and Greater Paterson,
1908-510: Is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States , with a median household income of $ 109,497 (compared to $ 89,703 in New Jersey and $ 69,021 nationwide) and a per capita income of $ 55,710 (vs. $ 46,691 in the state and $ 37,638 in the U.S.) as of the 2017–2021 American Community Survey . Bergen County has some of the highest home prices in New Jersey, with the median home price in 2022 exceeding $ 600,000. The county's park system covers more than 9,000 acres (3,600 ha). The origin of
2014-538: Is part of the Greater New York media market . Many communities have weekly local newspapers specific to their towns, while other daily newspapers have a broader readership and are commonly available in retail shops and for delivery. The following newspapers are daily newspapers serving the Gateway Region market. The region has ethnic market stations as well as commercial stations that mainly address
2120-450: Is primarily located in the central part of the city, especially in the area near Central Avenue and First Street. Bergen County's black population has declined from 52,473 counted in the 2010 Census to an estimated 50,478 in 2012. Other county municipalities with a sizeable minority of African Americans include Bergenfield (7.7%), Bogota (9.4%), Garfield (6.5%), Lodi (7.5%) and Ridgefield Park (6.4%). Indian Americans represent
2226-653: Is the largest in Bergen County and among the top ten by percent of population in the United States (7.17%); Hackensack, Fairview, Bergenfield, Bogota, and Lodi also have notable populations. The Cuban population is largest in Fairview, Ridgefield Park, Ridgefield , and Bogota, although the Cuban community is much bigger in Hudson County to the south. Since 2000, an increasing number of immigrants from other countries (including Peru , Mexico , Guatemala , El Salvador ,
SECTION 20
#17327649132362332-659: Is the most commonly identified first ancestry among Bergen residents (18.5%), with 168,974 Bergen residents were recorded as being of Italian heritage in the 2013 American Community Survey . To this day, many residents of the Meadowlands communities in the county's south are of Italian descent, most notably in South Hackensack (36.3%), Lyndhurst (33.8%), Carlstadt (31.2%), Wood-Ridge (30.9%) and Hasbrouck Heights (30.8%). Saddle Brook (29.8%), Lodi (29.4%), Moonachie (28.5%), Garfield , Hackensack , and
2438-630: Is the nation's northernmost and is along the corridor with other heavy industry. It was at this time that the Chemical Coast began to be developed. The Paterson Silk Strike took place in 1913. The Hudson Waterfront became home to heavy industry and shipping. Among the industries that would prosper in the first half of the 20th century were Alcoa Aluminum, the Ford Motor Company, Lever Brothers, Valvoline Oil Co. and Archer-Daniels-Midland. While immigration to Ellis Island decreased
2544-490: Is typical of urban sprawl . The Gateway Region was the territory of the Lenape Native Americans . Later called Delaware Indian , this collection of Algonquian -language speaking people included the Hackensack , Raritan , and Tappan . They are recalled in the countless number of place names given by them to towns, hills, and bodies of water. Much of the land was "purchased" by Dutch and English from
2650-591: The Dominican Republic , Ecuador , and Chile ) as well as from the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico have entered the county. The diverse backgrounds of the local Latino community are best exemplified in Fairview, where 10% of the overall population hails from Central America , 7% from South America , and 9% from other Latin American countries, mainly those in the Caribbean. The borough of Fairview has
2756-613: The Dutch colonists . Some of their descendants are included among the Ramapough Mountain Indians , recognized as a tribe by the state in 1980. Their ancestors had moved into the mountains to escape encroachment by Dutch and English colonists . Their descendants reside mostly in the northwest of the county, in nearby Passaic County and in Rockland County, New York , tracing their Lenape ancestry to speakers of
2862-519: The English Navy . The English organized the Province of New Jersey in 1665, later splitting the territory into East Jersey and West Jersey in 1674. On November 30, 1675, the settlement Bergen and surrounding plantations and settlements were called Bergen County in an act passed by the province's General Assembly. In 1683, Bergen (along with the three other original counties of East Jersey)
2968-1058: The Great Falls of the Passaic River speak to the innovation of the region. Administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection , the New Jersey Register of Historic Places mirrors the National Register of Historic Places , and uses the same criteria for eligibility. Most counties have historical societies and many municipalities assign historic designation or preservation status. The New Jersey Historical Society maintains archives and promotes research. There are also museums with thematic exhibitions. Located near New York City, many residents and visitors take advantage of and contribute to performances in music, theater, and dance. There are many theater and dance companies throughout
3074-783: The Ku Klux Klan . Radburn was founded in 1929 as "a town for the motor age". The Kearney Works of Western Electric kept the plant running with "make work" program, similar to WPA projects. The region played an important role in the World War II effort. PT boats were manufactured by Elco in Bayonne. Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne (MOTBY) was opened in 1942 as a U.S. military base (remained in operation until 1999). General Motors produced planes at Linden Assembly .The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company would produce over thirty ships before its closing in 1949. In 1946,
3180-571: The Köppen climate classification because its coldest month (January) averages above 26.6 °F / -3 °C. In part due to Bergen's coastal location, its lower elevation , and the partial shielding of the county from colder air by the three ridges of the Watchung Mountains as well as by the higher Appalachians , the climate of Bergen County is milder than in New Jersey counties further inland such as Sussex County . Bergen County has
3286-548: The Meadowlands Rail Line . The teams are: The venues include: The region has some of the highest concentration of super fund sites in the nation. 40°48′N 74°12′W / 40.8°N 74.2°W / 40.8; -74.2 Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey . Located in the northeastern corner of New Jersey, Bergen County and its many inner suburbs constitute
Gateway Region - Misplaced Pages Continue
3392-740: The Munsee language , one of three major dialects of their language. Over the years, they absorbed other ethnicities by intermarriage. In the 17th century, the Dutch considered the area comprising today's Bergen and Hudson counties as part of New Netherland , their colonial province of the Dutch Republic . The Dutch claimed it after Henry Hudson (sailing for the Dutch East India Company ) explored Newark Bay and anchored his ship at Weehawken Cove in 1609. From an early date,
3498-886: The New Jersey Supreme Court by a state legislative body, and in July 2012, Kwon was appointed instead as deputy general counsel of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey . Jacqueline Choi was then sworn in as Bergen County's first female Korean American assistant prosecutor in September 2012. According to The Record , the U.S. Census Bureau has determined that the county's Korean American population has grown enough to warrant language assistance during elections, and Bergen County's Koreans have earned significant political respect. As of May 2014, Korean Americans had garnered at least four borough council seats in Bergen County. In November 2016, Ellen Park
3604-556: The Ramapo Mountains , which are Dfb , and along the Hudson River from Fort Lee downward, where Cfa exists. Due to its location and elevation span, Bergen is the only county in New Jersey to have all three of the state's Köppen climate zones. As of the 2020 United States census , the county had 955,732 people, 343,733 households, and 242,272 families. The population density was 3,900 inhabitants per square mile (1,505.8/km ). There were 367,383 housing units at an average density of 1,576 per square mile (608.5/km ). The county racial makeup
3710-457: The baseball color line was first crossed at Roosevelt Stadium by Jackie Robinson . The Second Great Migration and the G.I. Bill changed the social geography as well as the physical geography of the Gateway. Planned and built during the 1950s Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is the first and largest container port in the eastern United States. Direct distance dialing (DDD)
3816-646: The 18th century, migration inland increased along the Horseneck Tract and Raritan Valley . Slavery and indenture were encouraged to populate the area. The third public reading of The Declaration of Independence took place in New Brunswick, but many East Jerseyans became Tories . Several battles of American Revolution took place in the region including those at Connecticut Farms , Bound Brook , and Paulus Hook . The first steam engine in America
3922-403: The 2010 census count to an estimated 165,442 as of 2013. Irish Americans and German Americans are the next largest individual ethnic groups in Bergen County, numbering 115,914 (12.7% of the county's total population) and 80,288 (8.8%) respectively in 2013. As is the case with Italian Americans, these two groups developed sizable enclaves long ago and are now well established in all areas of
4028-442: The 905,116 recorded at the 2010 census , which in turn reflected an increase of 20,998 (2.4%) from the 884,118 counted in the 2000 census . The county is divided into 70 municipalities, the most of any county in New Jersey, made up of 56 boroughs , nine townships, three cities, and two villages. Its most populous place, with 46,030 residents as of the 2020 census, is Hackensack , which is also its county seat . Mahwah covers
4134-700: The Appalachians for Native Americans and prohibit European-American advancement into the area. In addition, colonial governor William Denny of Pennsylvania agreed to negotiate directly with the Lenape-Delaware again without Iroquois intervention and marked the agreement by rekindling a " council fire ." The conference concluded on October 26, 1758, and in November, Governor Denny announced to the Pennsylvania Assembly that "a general peace
4240-631: The British elsewhere in New Jersey later that winter. Soon after the Battle of Princeton in January 1777, British forces realized that they were not able to spread themselves thin across New Jersey. Local militia retook Hackensack and the rest of Bergen County. Bergen County saw skirmishes throughout the war as armies from both sides maneuvered across the countryside. The Baylor Massacre took place in 1778 in River Vale , resulting in severe losses for
4346-550: The Continentals. In 1837, Passaic County was formed from parts of Bergen and Essex counties. In 1840, Hudson County was formed from Bergen. These two divisions took roughly 13,000 residents (nearly half of the previous population) from the county's rolls. In 1852, the Erie Railroad began operating major rail services from Jersey City on the Hudson River to points north and west via leased right-of-way in
Gateway Region - Misplaced Pages Continue
4452-472: The Dutch began to import African slaves to fill their labor needs. Bergen County eventually was the largest slaveholding county in the state, with nearly 20% of its population consisting of slaves in 1800. The African slaves were used for labor at the ports to support shipping, as well as for domestic servants, trades, and farm labor. Early settlement attempts by the Dutch colonists included Pavonia (1633), Vriessendael (1640), and Achter Col (1642), but
4558-800: The Easton treaty negotiations in 1759 in a work entitled An Enquiry into the Causes of the Alienation of the Delaware and Shawanese Indians from the British Interest , which blamed the war on the proprietors (i.e. the sons of William Penn ). The treaty specified that the Native American nations would not fight on the side of the French against the British in the current war. In return, Pennsylvania returned large blocks of land which
4664-507: The English entered New York Harbor in 1664, a negotiated surrender (which guaranteed religious tolerance and protection of private property) was made to transfer control of the area to the British crown. Elizabethtown was founded as the capitol and became the first officially English-speaking settlement, named after the wife of the province's proprietor, Sir George Cateret. In 1666, Newark was established by Puritans from Connecticut. By 1675,
4770-482: The Gateway Region including the steam engine, the revolver, the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, the rocket engine, and the electric railway. It is the site of the first automobile and first submarine in the United States. It can claim to the birthplace of baseball and the American film industry , Television to the home was first broadcast in the Gateway. The latter half of the 19th century saw an explosion of
4876-550: The Hackensack River and a tributary, the Pascack Brook , produced three reservoirs in the county, Woodcliff Lake Reservoir (which impounds one billion gallons of water), Lake Tappan (3.5 billion gallons), and Oradell Reservoir , which allows United Water to provide drinking water to 750,000 residents of North Jersey , mostly in Bergen and Hudson counties. The Hackensack River drains the eastern portion of
4982-680: The Iroquois had ceded a few years before; the British colonial governors promised to recognize Iroquois and other tribes' rights to their hunting grounds in the Ohio River valley; and to refrain from establishing colonial settlements west of the Allegheny Mountains after the conclusion of the war. This clause of the treaty contributed to the Crown 's subsequent Proclamation of 1763 , by which it attempted to reserve territory west of
5088-561: The Korean population of Fair Lawn was estimated to have more than doubled. South Korean chaebols have established North American headquarters operations in Bergen County, including Samsung , LG Corp , and Hanjin Shipping . In April 2018, the largest Korean-themed supermarket in Bergen County opened in Paramus. In January 2019, Christopher Chung was sworn in as the first Korean-American mayor of Palisades Park. The political stature of Koreatown appears to be increasing significantly as well. Bergen County's growing Korean community
5194-441: The Lenape, though this concept of "ownership" was foreign to them. The Lenape retreated to the west as settlements grew, and "agreed" to re-locate in 1766 with the Treaty of Easton , though some became part of the Ramapough Mountain Indians . Henry Hudson , an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company anchored his ship the Halve Maen ( Half Moon ) at Sandy Hook and Weehawken Cove in 1609. The area became part of
5300-478: The Native Americans repelled these settlements in Kieft's War (1643–1645) and the Peach War (1655). European settlers returned to the western shores of the Hudson River in the 1660 formation of Bergen Township (now part of Jersey City, New Jersey ), which would become one of the earliest permanent European settlements in present-day New Jersey. During the Second Anglo-Dutch War , on August 27, 1664, New Amsterdam's governor Peter Stuyvesant surrendered to
5406-500: The New Jersey State Department of Tourism, the others being the Greater Atlantic City Region , the Southern Shore Region , the Delaware River Region , the Shore Region , Central Jersey Region , and the Skylands Region . The Gateway National Recreation Area , though not located inside the Gateway Region, is nearby. The Gateway Region is home to New Jersey's six largest municipalities: Newark , Jersey City , Paterson , Elizabeth , Woodbridge Township , and Edison . Major rivers and
SECTION 50
#17327649132365512-463: The United States as ranked by Korean American percentage of overall population in 2010 are illustrated in the following table. Palisades Park has Koreans that comprise the majority (53.7%) of the population in 2022: One of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in Bergen County is the Korean American community, which is concentrated along the Hudson River – especially in the area near the George Washington Bridge – and represented more than half of
5618-465: The airport its major hub, increasing the airport's passenger volumes. Liberty State Park opened in 1976. Gentrification of the Hoboken and Downtown Jersey City nineteenth-century districts began in the late 1970s, which led to the eventual redevelopment of the Hudson Waterfront . Secaucus Junction , Midtown Direct , and the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail began service and changed local commuting patterns. The Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act
5724-517: The automobile remains the most common means of intra-regional travel. The Port of New York and New Jersey is the busiest on the East Coast of the United States . Commercial scheduled passenger service: General aviation: The Port of New York and New Jersey is the nation's third busiest. Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal , was the first in the nation to containerize , It and Port Jersey in Bayonne and Jersey City include large segments that are part of Foreign Trade Zone 49. The Gateway
5830-406: The bays include the Hudson River / Upper New York Bay , the Hackensack River and the Passaic River / Newark Bay , and the Raritan . The topography of the area is quite varied, with the Palisades and the Meadowlands in the northeast, the hills and valleys of the Watchung Mountains in the west, the Ramapo Mountains in the north, and tidal plains of the Raritan to the south. The confluence of
5936-653: The borough's population. Per the 2010 Census, Palisades Park was home to the highest total number (10,115) of individuals of Korean ancestry among all municipalities in the state, while neighboring Fort Lee had the second largest cluster (8,318), and fourth highest proportion (23.5%, trailing Leonia (26.5%) and Ridgefield (25.7%)). All of the nation's top ten municipalities by percentage of Korean population in 2010 were located in Bergen County, including Palisades Park, Leonia, Ridgefield, Fort Lee, Closter , Englewood Cliffs , Norwood , Edgewater , Cresskill , and Demarest , closely followed by Old Tappan . Virtually all of
6042-508: The chiefs of 13 Native American nations , representing tribes of the Iroquois , Lenape (Delaware), and Shawnee . Negotiations over more than a week were concluded on October 26, 1758, at a ceremony held in Easton, Pennsylvania between the British colonial governors of the provinces of Pennsylvania and New Jersey , and representatives of 13 Indian nations, including the Iroquois, who sent chiefs of three of their nations to ensure their continued domination of their Ohio Country region;
6148-480: The colonial province of New Netherland with headquarters in New Amsterdam . In 1630 the patroonship Pavonia was established and 1660, after series of confrontations with the Lenape, that the first chartered village was established on the west bank of the North River at Bergen Square , creating the oldest municipality in the state. Descendants of the New Netherlanders spread across North Jersey , and influenced its development and character for generations. When
6254-628: The county are home to a significant number of Jewish Americans , including Fair Lawn , Teaneck , Tenafly , Closter , Englewood , Englewood Cliffs , Fort Lee , Bergenfield , Woodcliff Lake , Paramus , and Franklin Lakes . Teaneck, Fair Lawn, Englewood, and Bergenfield in particular have become havens for Bergen County's growing Orthodox Jewish communities, with a rising number of synagogues as well as supermarkets and restaurants offering kosher foods . The largest Israeli American communities in Bergen County were in Fair Lawn (2.5%), Closter (1.4%), and Tenafly (1.3%) in 2000, representing three of
6360-441: The county through the New Jersey Meadowlands , a wetlands area in the southern portion of the county. The central portion is drained by the Saddle River and the western portion is drained by the Ramapo River . Both of these are tributaries of the Passaic River , which forms a section of the southwestern border of the county. Southeastern Bergen County lies at the edge of the humid subtropical climate zone ( Cfa ) according to
6466-468: The county's Indian population is America's largest Malayali community, and Kerala -based Kitex Garments, India's largest children's clothing manufacturer, opened its first U.S. office in Montvale in October 2015. Glen Rock resident Gurbir Grewal , a member of Bergen County's growing Indian American Sikh community, was sworn into the position of county prosecutor in 2016, and an architecturally notable Sikh gurudwara resides in Glen Rock, while
SECTION 60
#17327649132366572-437: The county. In 2023, Waldwick (30.43%), Ho-Ho-Kus (26.72%), and Hillsdale (24.94%) were reported as having the highest percentages of Irish American residents in the county. The Council of Irish Associations of Greater Bergen County, based in Bergenfield , has hosted an annual Saint Patrick's Day parade in the county since 1982. Bergen County is home to the largest Jewish population in New Jersey. Many municipalities in
6678-503: The county. The population density was 3,884.5 per square mile (1,499.8/km ). There were 352,388 housing units at an average density of 1,512.3 per square mile (583.9/km ). The racial makeup was 71.89% (650,703) White , 5.80% (52,473) Black or African American , 0.23% (2,061) Native American , 14.51% (131,329) Asian , 0.03% (229) Pacific Islander , 5.04% (45,611) from other races , and 2.51% (22,710) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 16.05% (145,281) of
6784-460: The county. This became known as the Erie Main Line , and is still in use for passenger service today. The Erie later leased two other railroads built in the 1850s and 1860s, later known as the Pascack Valley Line and the Northern Branch , and in 1881 built a cutoff, now the Bergen County Line. There were two other rail lines in the county, ultimately known as the West Shore Railroad and the New York, Susquehanna, and Western . In 1894, state law
6890-678: The defenses in Fort Lee and leaving behind considerable supplies, the Continental forces staged a hasty retreat through present-day Englewood , Teaneck , and Bergenfield , and across the Hackensack River at New Bridge Landing , one of the few sites where the river was crossed by a bridge. They destroyed the bridge to delay the British assault on Washington's headquarters in the village of Hackensack. The next day, George Washington retreated to Newark and left Hackensack via Polifly Road. British forces pursued, and Washington continued to retreat across New Jersey. The retreat allowed American forces to escape capture and regroup for subsequent successes against
6996-399: The earliest settlers of New Amsterdam (now New York City ), Hans Hansen Bergen , a native of Norway , who arrived in New Netherland in 1633. At the time of first European contact, Bergen County was inhabited by Native American people, particularly the Lenape Nation , whose subgroups included the Tappan , Hackensack , and Rumachenanck (later called the Haverstraw), as named by
7102-439: The eastern and western Lenape (Delaware), represented by two chiefs and headmen; Shawnee and others. More than 500 Native Americans attended the outdoor ceremony, after lengthy negotiations to bring peace to the regions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Ohio Country. Conrad Weiser served as an interpreter and arbitrator for the British colonial governments. Charles Thomson served as secretary and advisor to Teedyuscung , who
7208-510: The four largest in the state. Altogether, 83,700 Bergen residents identified themselves as being of Jewish heritage in 2000, a number expected to show an increase per a 2014 survey of Jews in the county. The Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey is based in Paramus. South Koreans constituted the most prevalent foreign-born nationality in Bergen County, which was home to all of the nation's top ten municipalities by percentage of Korean population in 2010 . The top ten municipalities in
7314-405: The highest number for any county in New Jersey. On January 11, 1917, the Kingsland Explosion took place at a munitions factory in what is today Lyndhurst . The explosion is believed to have been an act of sabotage by German agents, as the munitions in question were destined for Russia , part of the U.S.'s effort to supply allies before entrance into World War I . After the U.S. entry into
7420-415: The highest percentage of people of Salvadoran and Salvadoran American ancestry in the county, 12.4%. The city of Hackensack has the highest percentage of people of Ecuadorian and Ecuadorian American ancestry in the county, 10.01%, with a total of approximately 4,500 living within city limits. Overall, Bergen County's Latino population has demonstrated a robust increase recently, growing from 145,281 as of
7526-463: The industrial revolution in America, supported in part by the Morris Canal built in the 1820s. A century later Thomas Edison , the Wizard of Menlo Park, made his mark. In 1872 the Singer Manufacturing Company of New York opened a factory in Elizabethport along Trumbull Street next to the intersection of the CNJ mainline with the Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Branch. Many discoveries and inventions, or application or mass production of them, were made in
7632-497: The largest area of any municipality, at 26.19 square miles (67.8 km ). Bergen County is one of the largest commercial hubs in both New Jersey and the United States, generating over $ 6 billion in annual revenues from retailers in Paramus alone, despite blue laws keeping most stores in the county and especially Paramus itself (which has much stricter blue laws then the rest of the county) open only six days per week. The county
7738-488: The metropolitan New York City market as a whole. The WNJN network for New Jersey PBS affiliate stations provide New Jersey-specific news coverage. Television stations located in and broadcasting from Gateway : Radio stations in the Gateway Region include: There are re-occurring events throughout the year in the Gateway including street fairs , First Nights , Summer stock theatre , county fairs , fireworks , and other festivals . Among them are: The Gateway Region
7844-620: The municipalities with the highest Korean concentrations are located in the eastern third of the county, near the Hudson River, although Ridgewood has emerged as a Korean American nexus in western Bergen County, and Paramus and River Edge in central Bergen County. Beginning in 2012, county election ballots were printed in the Korean language, in addition to English and Spanish, given the U.S. Census Bureau's directive that Bergen County's Korean population had grown large enough to warrant language assistance during elections. Between 2011 and 2017,
7950-473: The name of Bergen County is a matter of debate. It is believed that the county is named after one of the earliest settlements, Bergen , in modern-day Hudson County, New Jersey . However, the origin of the township's name is debated. Several sources attribute the name to Bergen, Norway , while others attribute it to Bergen op Zoom in the Netherlands . Some sources say that the name is derived from one of
8056-750: The nation's first container terminal in 1958, and was for many years its busiest. The Newark Riots and the Plainfield Riots took place in 1967. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission was established in 1969 to protect the delicate balance of nature, provide for orderly development, and manage solid waste activities in the New Jersey Meadowlands District, and the Meadowlands Sports Complex opened in 1976. Terminals A, B, and C at Newark Airport were completed in 1973. People's Express later made
8162-719: The population continued to grow, in part due to the Great Migration . Upon entry into World War I, the US government took the Hamburg-American Line piers in Hoboken under eminent domain , which became the major point of embarkation for more than three million soldiers, known as " doughboys ". Camp Merritt was established in Cresskill for troop staging. In 1916, an act of sabotage literally and figuratively shook
8268-401: The population is of Polish descent; this is the largest concentration among New Jersey municipalities and the seventh-highest in the United States. The adjacent city of Garfield has also become a magnet for Polish immigrants, with 22.9% of the population identifying themselves as being of Polish ancestry, the third highest concentration in the state. The county's African American community
8374-418: The population was under the age of 18, 7.4% was from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 29% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.8 males. Given its location as a suburban extension of Manhattan across the George Washington Bridge , Bergen County has evolved
8480-418: The population. Of the 335,730 households, 32% had children under the age of 18; 56.1% were married couples living together; 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.9% were non-families. Of all households, 24.6% were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.2. 22.6% of
8586-524: The population. German immigration to the United States after 1848 gave the parts of the region a distinctly German flavor. Rail lines which still cross-cross the region, led to the development of the shipping industry at the North River (Hudson River) , Newark Bay , and Kill van Kull , and the beginnings of suburban developments such as Llewellyn Park . Streetcar suburbs also began to develop elsewhere. The Bayway Refinery , which started in 1907,
8692-488: The post-World War II era, developing much of the county to suburban levels. Two lanes were added to the upper level in 1946 and a second deck of traffic on the bridge was completed in 1962, expanding its capacity to becoming the world's only 14-lane suspension bridge . The bridge is the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge, carrying 104 million vehicles in 2019. In 1955, the United States Army established
8798-793: The preceding two-year period alone. In February 2015, the board of education of the Glen Rock Public Schools voted to designate the Hindu holy day Diwali as an annual school holiday, making it the first district in the county to close for the holiday, while thousands celebrated the first county-wide celebration of Diwali under a unified sponsorship banner in 2016. An annual " Holi in the Village" festival of colors has been launched in Ridgewood. Fair Lawn , Tenafly , Alpine , and Fort Lee are hubs for Russian Americans , including
8904-550: The region become the proprietary colony of East Jersey (establishing a border with New York State, which was formalized in 1738). It was partitioned into four counties for administrative purposes: Bergen County , Essex County , Middlesex County and Monmouth County . Settlement remained sparse, though some towns were created within farming communities and along rivers and bays. Among them are Perth Amboy in 1684, Hackensack and Piscataway in 1693, and New Brunswick in 1736 (which later became home to Rutgers University ). During
9010-585: The region when German agents set off bombs at the munitions depot in New York Bay at Black Tom . Another act of sabotage known as the Kingsland Explosion occurred on January 11, 1917. The T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion , though not considered sabotage, also caused tremendous damage. The forerunner of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was established on April 30, 1921. Huge transportation projects opened between
9116-404: The region, which continues to be the port of entry and first home to many born abroad, making it one of the most ethnically diverse of the nation. It may also be the most socio-economically diverse, with some of the biggest pockets of poverty and most exclusive of suburbs in the state. The designation Gateway Region has not caught on in local parlance, as the topography and self-identification of
9222-430: The region. Major companies, events, and performance venues include: The Gateway is home to five teams from major professional sports leagues playing in the state (though three teams identify as being from New York), as well as minor league teams. Since the 1970s several new stadiums and arenas have been built mostly near Downtown Newark or as part of the Meadowlands Sports Complex , which since 2009 can be reached with
9328-411: The residents tend not to correspond to the collective name. The terms North Jersey and Central Jersey are used in describing parts of the Gateway. The name may have been taken from the 1960s Newark nickname Gateway City after the newly developed Gateway Center downtown. Amtrak's high-speed rail project throughout the region is called Gateway . It is one of seven tourism regions established by
9434-588: The roads and railways of the Northeast Megalopolis make the region very heavily traveled. Chemical Coast is a nickname for the heavily industrial area along the Arthur Kill . Though there are broad distinctions between cities, suburbs, heavy industry, light manufacturing, recreational "green spaces", nature preserves, and retail, transportation, and maritime infrastructure, the landscape is characterized by their close proximity to each other, as
9540-580: The southeastern Bergen towns were Italian American strongholds for decades, but their Italo-American demographics have diminished in recent years as more recent immigrants have taken their place. At the same time, the Italian American population has grown in many of the communities in the northern half of the county, including Franklin Lakes , Ramsey , Montvale , and Woodcliff Lake . The diverse Hispanic and Latin American population in Bergen
9646-462: The state's entire Korean population as of 2000. As of the 2022 American Community Survey , persons of Korean ancestry made up 6.5% of Bergen County's population, the highest percentage for any county in the United States; while the concentration of Koreans in Palisades Park , within Bergen County, is the highest density and percentage of any municipality in the United States, at 53.7% of
9752-522: The total in most of Bergen's other municipalities. In Englewood, the African American population is concentrated in the Third and Fourth wards of the western half of the city, while the northeastern section of Teaneck has been an African American enclave for several decades. In 2014, Teaneck selected its first female African-American mayor. Hackensack's long-established African American community
9858-514: The war in April 1917, Camp Merritt was created in eastern Bergen County for troop staging. Beginning operations in August 1917, it housed 50,000 soldiers at a time, staging them for deployment to Europe via Hoboken . Camp Merritt was decommissioned in November 1919. The George Washington Bridge was completed in 1931, linking Fort Lee to Manhattan . This connection spurred rapid development in
9964-528: The wars: The Holland Tunnel in 1927, The George Washington Bridge in 1931, The Bayonne Bridge in 1931, and The Lincoln Tunnel in 1937, allowing vehicular travel between New Jersey and New York City to bypass the waterfront. Hackensack River crossings, notably the Pulaski Skyway , were also built. Newark Airport was the first major airport in the New York Metropolitan Area , opening on October 1, 1928. At Houvenkopf Mountain crosses were burned by
10070-436: Was 42.1 years. The gender makeup was 48.53% male and 51.14% female. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. The median household income was $ 108,827, and the median family income was $ 122,981. About 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. The 2010 United States census counted 905,116 people, 335,730 households, and 238,704 families in
10176-409: Was 56.90% White , 5.73% African American , 0.47% Native American , 16.59% Asian , and 10.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 21.41% of the population. There were 343,733 households, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 24.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 13.9% had
10282-400: Was changed to allow easy formation of municipalities with the borough form of government. This led to the " boroughitis " phenomenon, in which many new municipalities were created in a span of a few years. There were 26 boroughs that were formed in the county in 1894 alone, with two more boroughs (and one new township) formed in 1895. Ultimately 56 boroughs were incorporated in Bergen County,
10388-469: Was cited by county executive Kathleen Donovan in the context of attorney Jae Y. Kim's appointment to Central Municipal Court judgeship in nearby Hackensack in January 2011. Subsequently, in March 2012, leaders from Bergen County's Korean community announced they would form a grassroots political action committee to gain an organized voice in politics in the wake of the rejection of attorney Phillip Kwon to
10494-542: Was elected to the borough council in nearby Englewood Cliffs , while namesake Daniel Park was elected to the borough council in nearby Tenafly in November 2013. Polish Americans are well represented in western Bergen County and are growing as a community, with 59,294 (6.5%) of residents of Polish descent residing in the county as of the 2013 American Community Survey. The community's cultural and commercial heart has long been centered in Wallington , where 45.5% of
10600-648: Was introduced at the Schuyler Copper Mine on New Barbadoes Neck in 1755. In 1791, Alexander Hamilton help found the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.), which encouraged the harnessing of the water power of the Great Falls of the Passaic and to secure economic independence from British manufacturers. Paterson , which was founded by the society, became the cradle of
10706-713: Was introduced on November 10, 1951, in Englewood The northern parts of the New Jersey Turnpike were opened between 1952 and 1956. The metropolitan section (north of the Driscoll Bridge ) of the Garden State Parkway was completed in 1957. Bergen Town Center was the first mall in New Jersey, opened in 1957, soon followed by Westfield Garden State Plaza . and The Mall at Short Hills . Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal became
10812-572: Was officially recognized as an independent county by the Provincial Assembly. Initially, Bergen County comprised only the land between the Hudson River and the Hackensack River , extending north to the border between East Jersey and New York. In January 1709, the boundaries were extended to include all of the current territory of Hudson County (formed in 1840) and portions of the current territory of Passaic County (formed in 1837). The 1709 borders were described as follows: Bergen
10918-493: Was passed in 2004 to protect the watershed which supplies much of the region. Cory Booker became mayor of Newark in 2006. The Prudential Center opened in downtown Newark in 2007. American Dream Meadowlands , a large shopping and entertainment complex, opened on October 25, 2019. The Gateway Region has an extensive network of national highways, state freeways, and toll roads; commuter and long-distance trains; an expanding light rail system; local and interstate bus routes; and
11024-433: Was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.21 inches (82 mm) in February to 4.60 inches (117 mm) in July. Average monthly temperatures at the interchange of Route 17 and MacArthur Boulevard in Mahwah range from 28.5 °F in January to 73.8 °F in July. Using the 0 °C January isotherm, most of Bergen has a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa ) except for higher areas in
11130-683: Was referred to as King of the Delawares . The negotiations were held to hopefully resolve conflicts created by The Walking Purchase of 1737, which had lasting effects on the relationships between the Native Americans and the colonists. Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Chew, Esq. attended the negotiations of the Treaty of Easton and documented the proceedings in his Journal of a Journey to Easton . Charles Thomson also wrote about
11236-805: Was the location of several battles and troop movements during the American Revolutionary War . Fort Lee 's location on the bluffs of the New Jersey Palisades , opposite Fort Washington in Manhattan , made it a strategic position during the war. In November 1776, the Battle of Fort Lee took place as part of a British plan to capture George Washington and to resoundingly defeat the Continental Army , whose forces were divided and located in Fort Lee and Hackensack. After abandoning
#235764